Container



Feb. 14, 1967 J, LAKE 3,303,962

CONTAINER Filed NOV. 20, 1964 INVENTOR.

JOHN A. LAKE ATTORNEY United States Patent Ofiice 3,303,962 Patented Feb. 14, 1967 3,303,962 CONTAINER I John A. Lake, Murrysville, Pa., assignor to Aluminum Company of America, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Pennsylvania Filed Nov. 20, 1964, Ser. No. 412,640 3 Claims. (Cl. 220-54) This invention relates to improved container assemblies and in particular containers which when opened leave a residual-flange around the opening which might tend to damage the contents on removal.

It is an object of this invention to provide a container designed so as to facilitate removal of solid contents without being damaged through contact with the residual flange of the container end.

Another object is to provide such a container design for containers having peripheral tear strip opening devices.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be understood from the following description of the invention, on reference to the drawings appended hereto, in which:

FIG. 1 is a partial perspective view of a sealed container embodying the invention.

FIG. 2 is a partial vertical section of a filled and sealed container embodying the invention.

FIG. 3 is a partial vertical section showing the opened container with the product being removed.

In the form selected for illustration, a container 1 is provided with an annular internal bead 2 which urges the elongated product 4 away from the interior surface 10 of the container wall 11 while the contents are in the container, and also prevents contact of such product 4 with the residual flange 8 on removal. In FIGURE 1, the container 1 is a can having an internal bead 2 located in the upper part of the can body, below and relatively close to the can end 12. The remainder of the can body has a generally constant diameter intermediate the can ends. The can end 12 has a central panel, of smaller diameter than the general diameter of the can body and containing a tear strip opening device 13 which may consist of a pull tab or key 7 afiixed to a tear strip by fastening means 6. Opening is effected by raising the free end of the tab 7 and causing the can end 12 to be severed along scored lines 5 which are adapted to remove substantially the entire can end panel 12 leaving a narrow residual flange 8 (FIGURE 3) extending radially inwardly beyond the body, with the diameter of the flange 8 being smaller than the general body diameter. FIGURE 3 illustrates the product 4, in this instance a sausage, being removed from the container while being gripped by finger 9. The bead 2 causes the product to be deflected and thereby avoid contact with residual flange 8. The head 2 not only facilitates product removal without damaging contact with the flange 8, but also makes it easier to remove the product, as reaching into the container to free the product from contact with the internal surface 10 is not necessary. With some products adhesion to the internal surface could present a problem. The bead acts to minimize such contact.

In order to achieve proper control of the bead shape, it is preferable to form the bead prior to filling. The depth of the bead should be such that its innermost portion extends further toward the longitudinal central axis of the container than does the overlying peripheral score line. FIGURE 3, for example, illustrates a cylindrical container whose peripheral score line has been fractured and the end panel removed. The containers internal diameter at the innermost portion of the head is less than the diameter taken at the residual flange 8. A plane constructed parallel to container wall 11 and tangent to bead 2 will not intersect the residual flange 8.

The bead should be placed in the upper part of the container wall, spaced a relatively small distance from the container end. While, the precise location is not critical, moving the bead location away from the con tainer end tends to limit its utility.

This invention although'not so limited, will be particularly useful for solid, elongated products such as sausage. Contact with the residual flange could cause tearing of the sausage casing and possible severance of a portion of thesausage.

The bead results in increased safety to the user in, that the possibility of injuring oneself through contact with a rough edged flange is substantially minimized. This is of increased significane with respect to products which might not be completely consumed at the time the container is initially opened.

Insofar as metal containers are concerned, the invention may be used in either containers which cooperate with one additional container end to form a sealed container assembly, such as drawn or impact extruded containers, or cylindrical shell containers which cooperate with two additional container ends to form a sealed container. The metal selected may be aluminum, tin plate or other suitable metals and combinations thereof.

Although a double seamed can end has been selected for purposes of illustration, the invention is equally applicable to other conventional types of can ends such as chimed or soldered ends for example.

Also, while primary emphasis in this disclosure has been given to use of the invention in metal cans, it is obvious that the invention is equally applicable to jar-like containers, made of glass, plastic, metal or other suitable materials, having closures with tear strip opening devices. In addition, the invention may be advantageously employed in containers made from laminated materials, such as a foil-fiber container, for example.

While for purposes of illustration a right cylindrical container and a particular head of generally symmetrical cross-sectional configuration have been selected, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that numerous container and bead configurations will yield the benefits of this invention.

Whereas particular embodiments of the invention have been described above for purposes of illustration, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that numerous variations of the details may be made without departing from the invention as defined in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a sealed container assembly,

a container body having an internal bead disposed in the container body wall and the portions of said wall immediately above and below said head being of substantially equal diameter,

a container end having a peripheral score line, said container end being sealingly joined to said container body, and having a tear strip opening device adapted to remove substantially the entire container end panel within said peripheral score line, leaving a residual flange extending radially inwardly beyond said body wall, said internal bead being disposed in the upper part of said container wall spaced a relatively small distance below said container end and being of such depth that its innermost portion extends further toward the longitudinal central axis of said container body than does said overlying peripheral score line.

2. In a sealed container assembly,

- a metal can body having an annular internal head of generally symmetrical cross-section disposed in the can wall with the remainder of said wall being of substantially constant diameter intermediate the ends thereof,

a can end having a central panel, of smaller diameter than the diameter of said wall and said panel containing a peripheral score line,

said can end being sealingly joined to said metal can body, and having a tear strip opening device adapted to remove substantially the entire can end panel within said peripheral score line, leaving a residual flange extending radially inwardly beyond said wall and having a diameter smaller than said wall,

said internal bead being disposed in the upper part of said can wall spaced a relatively small distance below said can end and said sealed container assembly having an internal diameter at the innermost bead portion which is less than the diameter at said residual flange.

3. In a sealed container assembly,

a drawn aluminum can body having an annular internal bead of substantially symmetrical cross-section disposed in the can wall with the remainder of said wall being of generally constant diameter intermediate the ends thereof,

a can end having a central panel of smaller diameter than the general diameter of said wall and said panel containing a peripheral score line,

said can end being sea'lingly joined to said aluminum can body and having a tear strip opening device adapted to remove substantially the entire can end panel within said peripheral score line leaving a residual flange extending radially inwardly beyond said wall and having a diameter smaller than said Wall,

said internal bead being disposed in the upper part of said can wall spaced a relatively small distance below said can end, and

said sealed container assembly having an internal diameter at the innermost bead portion which is less than the diameter at said residual flange.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 9/1950 Erb 220-48 4/1965 Baugh 220-54 I THERON E. CONDON, Primary Examiner.

G. T. HALL, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A SEALED CONTAINER ASSEMBLY, A CONTAINER BODY HAVING AN INTERNAL BEAD DISPOSED IN THE CONTAINER BODY WALL AND THE PORTIONS OF SAID WALL IMMEDIATELY ABOVE AND BELOW SAID BEAD BEING OF SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL DIAMETER, A CONTAINER END HAVING A PERIPHERAL SCORE LINE, SAID CONTAINER END BEING SEALINGLY JOINED TO SAID CONTAINER BODY, AND HAVING A TEAR STRIP OPENING DEVICE ADAPTED TO REMOVE SUBSTANTIALLY THE ENTIRE CONTAINER END PANEL WITHIN SAID PERIPHERAL SCORE LINE, LEAVING A RESIDUAL FLANGE EXTENDING RADIALLY INWARDLY BEYOND SAID BODY WALL, SAID INTERNAL BEAD BEING DISPOSED IN THE UPPER PART OF SAID CONTAINER WALL SPACED A RELATIVELY SMALL DISTANCE BELOW SAID CONTAINER END AND BEING OF SUCH DEPTH THAT ITS INNERMOST PORTION EXTENDS FURTHER TOWARD THE LONGITUDINAL CENTRAL AXIS OF SAID CONTAINER BODY THAN DOES SAID OVERLYING PERIPHERAL SCORE LINE. 